Now's the time to stand up and be counted

Every Scot who values the Union must do their part to stop the separatists

Right this is it. There are less than two weeks to go before we Scots have to decide whether we want to stay British or take a leap in the dark with Alex Salmond.

The separatists are in a buoyant mood thanks to opinion polls that seem to suggest – suggest that’s all – that they’re in with a chance of breaking up Britain. And those who oppose them should be aware that there might well be other surveys that suggest the same or worse for the Unionist cause.

But the message this morning is that those who back the Union must not be dismayed.

We have been here before with opinion polls – and as someone who has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of other people’s money in commissioning such things, the pollsters frequently get things wrong.

No, we shouldn’t ignore them. But don’t let them discourage those who are fighting to keep Scotland in the UK.

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We have just got to get out there and tell everyone that the No Thanks campaign, the millions of Scots who don’t want to be a broke, insular little off-shoot of Europe, who value their place in the United Kingdom and its place in the world are far from finished.

And, for God’s sake, we have got to say it with a smile on our faces.

I am frankly fed up hearing whinges from those on the same side of the argument as I am, bleating about how they don’t think Better Together or David Cameron, or Ed Miliband or Nick Clegg are doing enough for the Union cause.

What they need to do is have a good look at themselves in the mirror and ask: “What are you doing to save the Union. To keep Scotland in the UK and, perhaps most of all, to wipe that smug grin off Alex Salmond’s face?”

For instance: How many doors have you knocked on to try to persuade the inhabitants that rejecting this nonsense of separation is Scotland’s best chance of a decent, successful future? We have spent decades on this constitutional merry-go-round while our children leave school not properly able to read and write and the number of people not seen when they should be in accident and emergency wards has trebled.

How many street corners have you stood on handing out Better Together leaflets that explain the huge pitfalls, if not dangers, of breaking up Britain?

How many “No Thanks”, or “UK OK” posters are you displaying in the windows in your house or in your car or in your garden or in your fields?

And no, don’t come back to me and moan that your posters have been defaced or torn down or your cars or windows have been damaged.

If they have been kick up merry hell and report it and demand that Police Scotland take some action.

If they don’t, then write to the Chief Constable and make him sit up and listen.

And then put up another poster and if that’s torn down, put up another one.

This issue is far too important for intimidation to be used as an excuse.

And also, don’t whinge to me that you can’t get enough posters out of Better Together.

If you haven’t got any, make some. For a window display all you need is some A4 paper and a felt tip pen and the ability to write NO in capital letters.

It’s true that posters can’t vote and our sensible side of the argument will never match the fury of our opponents.

But we need to make a better public display to show that we are determined not to be cowed by the nastiness of the Nats nor by their incessant lies.

All manner of big political names are on their way to Scotland in the coming days to help maintain the United Kingdom but it is the ordinary voter who will decide the issue.